38th Veteran of the Quarter, Robert Powell, US Army
March 1, 2020
Sergeant V. Roy Powell joined the U.S. Army in January 1964 and received his Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. After Basic, he went to Ft. Gordon, GA for military police training. His first duty assignment was Ft. Hood, TX, where he served with the 720th military police batallion.
After about fifteen months of service at Ft. Hood, he was transferred to the 615th military police company. In July of 1965, his unit was put on a train and made the trip from Ft. Hood to Oakland, CA. There, they boarded a troop ship, the U.S.S.W.A. Mann. The 2500 troops aboard, including Powell, spent twenty-eight days at sea before arriving at Subic Bay in the Phillipines.
After overnighting in Subic Bay, they continued on to Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam. From there, they loaded onto a landing craft and went up the river to Saigon. Then they loaded onto trucks and ended up outside Tan Son Nhut Air Base, where they set up tents. Powell was attached to the 716th military police batallion while being in the 615th military police company.
Their duties in Vietnam consisted of river patrol, security, and convey escort. They would pick up a convoy of truck at the docks in Saigon and escort them to Long Binh or Bien Hoa. Powell returned to the U.S. after serving about fifteen months in Vietnam. At Ft. Sheridan, IL, Powell reenlisted for three more years and was transferred to Ft. Snelling, MN after a year at Ft. Sheridan.
After that, Powell was transferred to Coleman Barracks in Mannheim, West Germany. He worked at the U.S. Army Europe stockade as a Platoon Sgt. and Guard Commander. When his tour was over, he entered into law enforcement. He worked for the Marshfield, WI police department for five-and-a-half years. He then went to work for the Wood County Sheriff’s department as a Sharpshooter for the Special Response Team for twenty-two-and-a-half years before retiring.
Powell is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Vietnam Veterans of America. While working in Wisconsin, Powell was active in various veterans organizations. He served as treasurer for his V.V.A. chapter in Marshfield. He also served as a Junior Vice Commander of the V.F.W. as well as the commander of American Legion Post #54 from 1993-97.
Powell has two children: a son who lives in Springfield with his wife and a daughter in Minnesota. When Powell retired in 1997, he moved to Forsyth, MO, where he enjoys traveling, golfing, playing cards, and whatever comes to mind.
THE PROUD. THE STRONG. THE LOYAL. OUR VETERANS!